Electrical plugs



July 15, 1969 5, DEAKlN 3,456,160

ELECTRICAL PLUGS Filed May 18, 1967 STANLEY THOMAS DEAKIN United States Patent U.S. Cl. 317-101 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plug comprises a plurality of first electrically conductive pins and a plurality of second electrically conductive pins, the said first pins being electrically connected together and the said second pins being separately constructed and insulated both from each other and from the said first pins.

This invention relates to electrical plugs and more particularly to a multipin electrical plug. Such plugs may be used for insertion into the sockets of a plurality of electrical circuits.

The invention provides a plug comprising a plurality of first electrically conductive pins and a plurality of second electrically conductive pins, the said first pins being electrically connected together and the said second pins being separately constructed and insulated both from each other and from the said first pins.

Preferably the said first pins are integral with each other.

It is further preferred that at least one of the said second pins has a diode attached thereto.

There may be a support plate of insulating material, the second pins lying on one face of the plate and the diode being received in a hole or recess in the plate.

In one embodiment the plug comprises a support plate of electrically insulating material, a strip of electrically conducting material with one edge attached in edge to edge relation to the support plate, the opposed edge of the strip being cut away to provide a plurality of first pins, a plurality of second pins arranged to lie in the spaces between the first pins and coplanar therewith, the second pins being attached to the plate and/or the strip and 'being electrically insulated from the strip.

Preferably the second plugs are secured to the strip by an electrically insulating adhesive.

It is further preferred that said second pins are formed in two portions, there is a hole or recess in the plate and there is an electrical compressor-e.g., a diodelocated in the hole or recess which component is electrically connected between the two portions.

The invention includes the combination of two plugs as described above in which the plugs are in side-byside relation and the diodes of adjacent plugs are received in recesses which are out of aligment.

By way of example, a device in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing of the device.

The device forming the subject of this example is a multipin plug for a row of electrical sockets. More particularly the sockets are pairs of sockets, each pair being associated with a separate electrical circuit. One socket of each pair may thus be connected to a common source whilst each of the other sockets must be kept separate and insulated from each other and from the common source.

With reference to the drawing, the plug is of the push-in type and comprises a bussed strip 1 of electri- 3,456,160 Patented July 15, 1969 cally conductive material having a plurality of pins 4 projecting from one longitudinal edge of the strip and integral therewith, the pins being in parallel spaced apart relation with each other. These pins 4 may thus be electrically connected at 10 to a common source of supply for one socket of each pair of sockets (not shown).

Located in each space between the pins 4 there is a separately constructed pin 2. This pin 2 is also formed of electrically conductive material but is bonded to the strip 1 by an insulating adhesive and is therefore insulated therefrom. These pins 2 provide the electrical connections to each of the other sockets of the aforesaid pairs of sockets.

The pins 2 also project from the other longitudinal edge of the strip 1 and are bonded to a strip 3 formed of insulating material, which strip 3 may comprise a support member for the plug. Separate electrical connections to each of the pins may then be made at 14, e.g., by soldering lead wires 19 thereto.

In this example, it is required to insert a diode into each electrical circuit and this is accomplished by forming a cut-out 5 in the strip 3 after the associated pin 2 has been bonded thereto, the cut-out also separating the pin 2 into two portions 16, 17. A diode 6 is then housed within each cut-out and is electrically coupled in series to the two portions 16, 17 of the respective pin 2. With reference to the drawing, there are shown alternative positions 5, 5a; 6, 6a for the cut-out and diode respectively. In practice, when there are two or more rows of sockets each to be provided with a plug as described above, alternate plugs are provided with their cut-outs and diodes in the positions 5, 6 respectively and the intermediate plugs have their cut-outs and diodes in the positions 5a, 6a. In this manner, the rows of sockets may thus be located closer together and such a feature is important in the manufacture of miniature electrical equipment.

The strips 3 may all be provided with two sets of cutouts 5, 5a as illustrated or some strips may be provided with cut-outs 5 and other strips with cut-outs 5a.

It is to be appreciated that, in the case of their being a plurality of plugs adjacent each other, the plugs may be clamped together in a box-like housing to form a single push-in unit.

Each pin 2, 4 may be ribbed to increase its strength or merely to increase, in effect, the thickness of the pin.

I claim:

1. A multipin electrical plug comprising a plurality of first electrically conductive pins in a row in spaced relationship one from another, said first pins being electrically connected together, a plurality of second electrically conductive pins, a support plate of insulating material, said second pins being separately constructed and lying on one face of said support plate, said second pins being insulated one from another and also being insulated from said first pins, and said support plate having holes therein adjacent to respective ones of said first pins, said holes being adapted to receive electrical components therein.

2. A multipin electrical plug as claimed in claim 1 in which said first pins are integral with each other.

3. A multipin electrical plug as claimed in claim 1 in which said holes in said support plate are formed by cut outs extending through said first pins and separating said first pins into two portions adapted to have an electrical component housed within said cut outs coupled in series with the two portions of a respective pin.

4. A multipin electrical plug as claimed in claim 2 in which said first pins extend from an edge of a strip of electrically conductive material, said first pins being spaced apart along said strip, and said second pins extending into the spaces between said first pins.

5. A multipin electrical plug comprising a support plate of electrically insulating material, a strip of electrically conducting material having one edge attached in edge to edge relation to the insulating support plate, the opposed edge of said conducting strip being formed into a plurality of first pins, said first pins being spaced apart one from another along said conducting strip, a plurality of second pins arranged to lie in the spaces between the first pins and coplanar therewith, the second pins being attached to said insulating support plate and being electrically insulated from the strip.

6. A plug as claimed in claim 5 in which the second pins are secured to the strip by an electrically insulating adhesive.

7. A plug as claimed in claim 5 in which the said second pins are formed in two portions, there is a hole or recess in the plate and there is an electrical com- 4 ponent located in the hole or recess which component is electrically connected between the two portions.

8. The combination of two plugs each as claimed in claim 7 in which the plugs are in side-by-side relation and the diodes of adjacent plugs are received in recesses which are out of alignment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,142,000 7/1964 Bernstein. 3,225,260 12/ 1965 Brochier et a1.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 17468.5 

